What happens if I deliver my freight late?

That shot cleared the fences and emptied the bases!!

 

I was 90 minutes late to a Walmart DC in Monroe GA on a Friday afternoon, due to Atlanta traffic, but moreover, poor trip planning on my part. Had I blown off my 8 hr 30 min break, they might have unloaded me. As it was I didn't get unloaded until Sunday evening. Walmart lets you deliver an hour early to an hour late, but don't be later than that. Lesson learned!

 

I got turned away at that DC too. Thankfully there is a store across from it with truck parking and a place to eat. I did a 10 while I waited on the yard guy to come bring me an empty and get that loaded trailer while the company got a new appointment. It was a Hershey load and was picked up late to start with. I never had a chance and the stupid load planner refused to redo any of the appointments.

 

Yep, good restaurant too. Better than average. The saving grace of that weekend.

 

Actually because the account manager at my company that handled both the Hershey and Mars accounts was not the brightest light bulb in the pack 60 to 70 % of the time we picked up Hershey loads late. Because of this I have spent a lot of time at that place. It really was not that big of a deal because I have family in both Monroe and Loganville. One call and someone was there to pick me up I got my clothes washed and a good hot shower. I never liked leaving a loaded trailer like that and DO NOT ADVISE IT TODAY. However I got a bit cynical toward that idiot that had those accounts and did so.

 

Well, like many questions about any of the many facets of this industry there is no cut and dry answer...

But.. yes, many times the shipper can charge the company for late deliveries.. but, companies are aware of this and protect themselves..

How.. well, they structure the drivers pay in way to cover any late load costs.. for example a driver gets a get paid .19 cpm plus .10 cpm for all miles that pay period if there are no late, lost or rejected loads..
If the driver drives average 2000 mile a week..
.19 x 2000 = 380
.10 x 2000 = 200
380 +200 = 580

No late load the driver gets paid 580
with a late load the driver gets paid 380

Now these figures are only a simplified example.. there is a lot missing stuff from them.. but just making it easy..

Now here is the rub.. not all shippers charge a late load fees, also, many companies do not use the actual times.. so on dispatch arriving after 6 pm gives a driver a late load and costs him to lose .10cmp for all miles that pay period.. the load may not actually be late and hence no late charge..

Companies do that to spread the cost and profit loss of late loads.

Carriers are a for profit business.. they are not going to leave themselves open for a driver with poor management skills or a pissed off driver to "stick it to em"

Freight brokers are the same.. not going to leave themselves vulnerable to profit loss...

So, yes, there is a charge for late loads.. but ultimately it is not just the driver who runs late that pays... but all, or at least a majority of the drivers for that company... as companies are going to factor the cost of bad drivers into the pay.. they will pay all drivers less so they have mosey to cover the cost of the bad drivers.

Also, a company will fire a driver long before that driver dips into the profits of the company...

Now, this is not necessarily the scenario for smaller companies.. but, they hire and employ experienced and professional drivers.. drivers who don't deliver late.

 

I've had that happen at Walmart. At the site 30 minutes early, but the check in time for all the trucks made me late

 

My company just wants to be informed ASAP if I can be on time or if something happens like car accident backups.

 

Nope. And make it 10,000 or more per year. Gone.

You will get paid next week sometime.

 

That actually is the difference between a driver having a late load or not.. commutation... because, a dilivery time can be changed.. it is better to reschedule a time as soon as it is known the load is running late or may be late than it is for the load to just arrive late..